Asthama and PFT?

[Aboveallislove]

I'm hoping our resident expert (Dot the darling!) can help with this but wanted to post instead of PM in case others have similar questions but also in case others have ideas based on their clinic's handling.

DS has just figured out the spirometer and in prep for next week's quarterly I wanted to see what how things changed pre and post brochialdialtor. When he was an infant and they did the "plastic box" test he had a pretty sharp improvement after the Xopenex which they said indicated an asthmatic component. he's been on Qvar daily for a couple years when he had a cough with running. So I'm wondering if that has stabilized the asthama somewhat so the results wouldn't be as stark. But they are definitely higher post. So I'm wondering does this say anything re an asthmatic component or do all with CF do better after a bronchialdialtor? We did 2 days with a pre and post Xopenex (10 minutes after Xopenex, but during that time we continued with his hyper-sal).

Day 1:
Pre Text Post Test
FVC 1.32 1.45FEV1
FEV1 1.08 1.24
PEF 114 149
FEF25-75 .87 1.34

Day 2
FVC 1.47 1.56
FEV1 1.15 1.29
PEF 126 163
FEF25-75 1.02 1.18

So do folks know if it this pre-post bronchial dilator fairly "normal"? (Obviously I'm going to discuss with the doctor but wanted to think through things before. Thanks all!)

 

[2005CFmom]

The only time may daughter did pre and post was when she was going through testing for a diagnosis (at 8 years old). Her test came out fine, no improvement with albuterol, and the tech says, "well, she doesn't have asthma". I let them know we were actually being tested because they thought she might have CF not asthma. The tech assured me there is no way she could have CF, the numbers were too good. Anyway, long story to say not all people with CF improve with albuterol/xopenex.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Thanks Terri! Yeah, I don't think they do pre and post but I wanted to show the results and have the discussion so we know whether and how qvar is working and whether other things should be looked at. Hope your dad s doing well. Thanks again for insights!

 

[aslong]

I was diagnosed with asthma at 13 years old or so- later reclassified as "exercise induced", I was a runner. I use my inhaler quite a bit off and on and I am on Advair now. All that to say I have absolutely no change with Albuterol and never have. I do have reactive air ways so I wonder if the asthma is a real thing for me... Albuterol does help with the night cough and when I am feeling tight. I also do not wheeze.

I do not remember doing a special test to be diagnosed with the Asthma.

My new CF doctor is trying to sift through and see if my troubles are more asthma or CF.

Good Luck- Looking forward to see other people's experience

 

[Melissa75]

My asthma is atypical like Amy's in the post above. I have been on some type of inhaler for almost 30 yrs: as a teen albuterol as needed and oral steroids here and there, in parts of my twenties pulmicort daily, and finally for the past ten years Symbicort.

My lungs make whistling and squeaking noises, but I don't know what a typical asthma attack feels like. In pre and post PFT testing, I am cuspy with like a 12% improvement. I am treated for asthma because of how inflamed my lungs sound -- not because of my FEV1 change.

When I went to National Jewish for the Big Workup, I had to stop singulair and symbicort for a week prior. I got significantly more junk and reactive--twitchy, coughing and tight feeling. My pre- and post- with no stabilizer med was still not more than 12-15%. What diagnosed me as asthmatic was the methacholine challenge -- repeated PFTs while your airways are exposed to more and more of an irritant.

Hope this helps.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Thanks all! I'm thinking the change which goes from 10% to more is indicative of asthma...assuming I'm doing the calculation with those numbers properly....but his lungs don't have any issues yet that we know of, which is why I wanted to figure out what that improvement signified so we can be o top of it when it does hit! Thanks for all the help!